Genesis: The Fourth Great Ninja War
by Volstgalph234
Summary: Two years after the death of Pain, the Rock and Wind Countries have made a pact to invade the Rain Country. However, the Gobi's Jinchuriki thinks otherwise. Will Naruto help him as a fellow Jinchuriki, or kill him for befriending Sasuke? Please review.
1. Prologue, part 1

**G e n e s i s**

**The Fourth Great Ninja War**

**Prologue, part I**

A white, translucent mist hovered over top of the dark sands of the lake. All was quiet and nothing moved. The evergreen trees watched over the land in silence. The lush bushes hid underneath the stout needles. The trees nestled them in kindly. Intruders had entered their territory. They were passive and did not dare swing their branches about nor did they whisper their thoughts. The bushes were far too scared. They couldn't play at a time like this. They couldn't even shake. The red eyes of the blonde-haired young man were too much for them. His aura overpowered them. He was angry. He was starring down a tall, dark-haired man a few meters from him. The trees knew him. The bushes knew him. The sands knew him. Even the calm, respectful lake was fearful of this man's presence.

The man wore all black. A black, unzippered sweatshirt, a black t-shirt underneath, a black pair of pants, and his black shoes; they all matched him. His small, silver eyes, scarred, pale skin; they were all features of a ninja from Amegakure, the capital city of the defiled Rain Country, the very same Rain Country that once belong to a god. A god of six men He was. He had no name. He and His followers merely recognized Him as Pain. The trees shivered at the thought of Him. The bushes didn't know Him, as they were merely saplings during His time. But, they understood loud and clear of His power and of the force known as Akatsuki at which He commanded. However, that was the past, as they now had a new man to fear. He was cold, heartless, and believed in nothing but instilling fear into the hearts of even the strongest willed of men, women, and children alike. He attempted to do the same with the blonde-haired, orange-black jumpsuit-wearing boy in front of him, but, for the first time, he had failed. The young man was far too angry. He was a Jinchuriki; a predator among people. He feared no one. But, this man did not. He knew fear just as much. This evil, wicked, shell of a man is known as Kagayaku Sunadori, the crime lord and new leader of the Rain Country, predecessor to Pain.

Kagayaku was no where near as powerful as Pain. He did not have the Rinn'egan. He was not one mind to six men. But, he used the weapon of fear and hostility. It was better than mass destruction to all countries. It was better then a weapon of mass destruction. It was a weapon of universal proportions. It was ultimate. All of the land knew _that_ more than anything. To the people, Kagayaku didn't need to be a god to become powerful. He was a mortal man. That, in itself, is more precious than what any god can possibly do. In fact, that is what a god envies most. Kagayaku had it. He used it.

The blonde-haired boy in the orange-black jumpsuit was indeed a Jinchuriki. The trees knew that. The bushes knew that. The sands, and even the delicate lake knew that. All of them know everything. They listen well. He is Naruto Uzumaki, now a Jonin, 17-years-old, and Jinchuriki to the Kyuubi. Yes, that was it. Naruto didn't know everything. He didn't even have a weapon like Kagayaku did. But, he knew what he was doing. He listened too. That's what made him better.

He, of course, was there on a mission. There would no other reason he would be able to have such a personal meeting with the sinister crime lord if there wasn't a purpose. Everything has a purpose. The trees knew that too. But, _you_ probably already knew that they knew that too, correct? Naruto was on a mission to align the Fire and Rain Countries. A truce, so to speak. It was logically simple. It realistically wasn't. The purpose of this was meant for a higher circumstance. The Wind and Rock Countries were planning an attack on the Rain, and seeing how devastated they were at the moment, their country had nearly no chance of surviving an invasion of such proportions. The Fire Country never held anything against the Rain-nin, and because of their agricultural status being so high and their military power minimal but potent, Konohagakure concluded that it would be a prime opportunity to ally themselves with the right people. The sustainable resources of the country would heighten and Amegakure would have themselves a fine amount of support. A logical agreement of allegiance between two countries. However, if only their leader weren't so stubborn. He was a fool. He believed that they would survive. Again, he was a fool.

"How can you believe your own people to be so expendable?!" Naruto growled questioningly, clenching both fists, "Have you no shame?" There was a pause and their eyes locked in an electrifying stare until Naruto became fed up and his blood-red eyes widened. "Your people will _die_!"

Kagayaku looked at the young man as if he were lying. It was as if the boy were joking with him. The older Rain-nin believed in his way and his way only. The trees began to see the courage in the boy to stand up too such a man. So much so, they too, began to feel the need to be free. Naruto was sensible. _Open your eyes_, the trees whispered through the mist, _the boy is right_. Kagayaku didn't seem to get the message. He smirked tauntingly as he responded, "People die," he began coolly, "it's the natural way of life. _I'm_ only speeding up the process." His voice was soft, but in a sinister way. The kind of voice you can't stand. The kind that no one can stand. The voice of a sneaky bastard.

Naruto couldn't stand the Rain-nin anymore. The Kyuubi began to rumble inside of him. "As a leader, you're supposed to protect, not destroy! Even you should understand that! The Fire Country is trying to help-"

"I don't need your help. My _people_ don't need your help... So, with that being said, why don't you run along back to your country and their fading flame," Kagayaku interrupted, sliding his hands into his pockets as if he felt safe. Too bad he was arguing with a very angry Jinchuriki.

After examining the crime lord a little more, Naruto began to notice something. A certain something that began to link him to a certain _someone_. Naruto's left eye twitched and he lifted his hands up. They were shaking. His eyes dizzied him. The Kyuubi awakened. Naruto subconsciously fell onto all fours. There was a no control. The bushes huddled together anxiously. The lake began to ripple. The dark sandy beach began to pile up and attempt to flee. "_Sasuke!_" Naruto ducked his head down. In a flash, blazing red chakra exploded around Naruto and he lifted his head instantaneously. Two crimson tails and a pair of fox-like ears sprouted out. The eyes became larger and black rings formed. Teeth elongated. Claws fired up. Naruto tipped his head higher, "_SASUKE!!!_" he roared out to the world. To Kagayaku's eyes, reality could have ripped clean in half with a roar that powerful. To Kagayaku's mind, this was perfect.

Naruto brought his head down and a screech could be heard. At first, it was unknown where the sound came from. But there was no doubt. The chakra surrounding Naruto was so hot, it was boiling to the point that smoke formed like a tea kettle, only if it were nearly about to explode, perhaps. A crater formed underneath Naruto with a crunch so terrifying, the sand vaporized. A twisted smile formed from ear to ear. Naruto was in his prime.

"So... they were right," Kagayaku starred Naruto in the eye for a moment. Those evil, cursed eyes starred back. "You _are_ the Kyuubi's Jinchuriki. It's nice. I get to see if the rumors were true. Whether or not this power _really did_ kill Him." Kagayaku smirked, as if he weren't afraid. After all, this hadn't been the first time he starred evil in the eye. _The Gobi's Jinchuriki... I never knew they were so much alike_, Kagayaku thought, _Reiki, it appears you have a friend._


	2. Prologue, part 2

**Prologue, part 2**

Surviving a war is not a simple task. Especially when you're a primary target. Jinchuriki of all kinds fell to the hands of Akatsuki. Ichibi, Nibi, Sanbi, Yonbi, Rokubi, Shichibi, Hachibi: they all fell, one by one, to the wrath of the god. The god whom was represented in six beings. All of them shared one thing common. It was believed He was the only descendant. The only living one. The grand master and master-mind behind chakra. He discovered it, that's what was said. Little did they know all He was was a boy. A frightened, little Rain-nin by the Nagato. He had no last name. People were forced to ally with Him. Why? No one quite understood. No one wanted to die. It's a wonder how He hadn't managed to destroy an entire continent.

Kyuubi.

Yes, that was how. It all ended. The space-time continuum was His plaything, and yet, He suffered all of the world's hate and devastation through the eyes of one. One boy who had the courage to stand up against Him. That's how the legend was told. However, they had forgotten about one other. This is _his_ tale.

A lush, green forest surrounded them. It closed in on the group of Rain-nin. However, the Rain-nin knew their way through a forest. They followed the water. That's right. They followed the water. It was a myth that Rain-nin, if trained well enough, could telepathically "speak" to water. Lakes, seas, oceans, ponds, even puddle of all sizes could be spoken to. Few could do it. Water-nin attempted to do this, but they could not. Only Rain-nin held this trait. The group of Rain-nin were on a mission of their own. They were to invade Iwagakure and assassinate the Tsuchikage. It was obvious this would be no simple feat. Therefore, a group of Amegakure's top Rain-nin were chosen to accomplish this task. A leader of the group was chosen as well. His black, unzippered jacket flapped in the wind, with its silver trim shining a dazzling light. A white t-shirt hid stolidly underneath. His white pants walked themselves forward with matching, white shoes pressing against the soft soil. His white, Rain-symbol forehead protector wrapped itself quietly around the forehead where it belonged. His spiked, purple-gray hair stood alert with white streaks throughout. His pale skin and icy blue eyes pierced the forest like another Ice Age.

He and his group reached a their stop upon arriving at a tall, dangerously heightened cliff. The leader's expression was still and calm. He observed the rocky wasteland below. It appeared clear, but appearances can be deceiving. He held up his left hand; signaling for his team to stop. They did so. The leader squinted his eyes as he attempted to see the edge of the city. He could see it. Most importantly and first, he had to keep his assassination squad alive. He bit the skin of his left thumb, causing it to bleed, and he kneeled down. He formed hand seals rapidly.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu** (Summoning Technique)!" He slammed his left hand down onto the hard, rock surface and a blood seal erupted out from his wound. Ice swept through the veins in the cliff and shot themselves down near the bottom level. The ice droplets twisted and morphed into wolves. Their throats rumbled and sniffed the air. The smell of Iwagakure stung their nostrils. The ice hounds barked wild and ran off into the valley. "Let's move out," the leader ordered, composing more hand seals.

Out from the ledge fired a thick, smooth blast of ice with the head of a snarling wolf. "**Hyoton: Hyoinudan no Jutsu** (Ice Release: Ice Wolf Missile Technique)!" The leader leapt onto the large, railing of ice and his fellow Rain-nin did the same. Chakra to their feet stabilized them; keeping them all from sliding. The single, snake-like, icy wolf slithered through the air, following the summoned, white wolves. Little did they know that the Rock-nin were well-aware of this attack. The guard surrounding the city stood prepared, awaiting orders to defend their city as if it were a fortress under siege. The closer and closer the assassins came, the more anxious the city guard became. One of them couldn't take it anymore. He wouldn't let the enemy intrude while they stood idly by to have their Tsuchikage dead. The soldier wished to protect, and so, he was doing his job. He clapped his hands together and slammed them down onto the concrete tower floor. The others gasped as the soldier disobeyed his commanding officers and struck.

A large stone pillar arose from underneath the ice missile that the assassins skidded along. The squad leader attempted to steer the wolf missile out of the way, but it was no good. The body crashed into the pillar straight through. It was broken. The ice fell several tens of stories and all but the leader survived. Direct hit. It was unknown whether or not any of his Rain-nin lived the fall. The leader, being lucky, had stood on the head. It spun in the air wildly, about to make its imminent crash landing. Thinking quickly, he established more hand seals and, upside-down in mid-air, he shot himself off of the sinking missile head only to ride on a newly constructed one. The single assassin and once the leader of a squad of ten fellow Rain-nin, launched an entire full-frontal assault on Iwagakure. It would be glassed. The reckless Rock-nin had screwed up. Big time.

"**Hyoton**," the leader cried out as he leaned down with his hand signs formed. He was nearly sitting at this point and the ice missile he was now riding upon sped up nearly triple, "**Hyoinutakaru no Jutsu** (Ice Release: Ice Wolf Swarm Technique)!" he finished with a roar. Nearly 20 or so ice missiles in the shapes of wolves sprouted out at an accelerating rate from the drought-infected terrain below. How was he able to form ice from an area that did not consist of nearly any water? The water of the forest was attracted to his chakra and zipped through the veins of earth and froze upon entering his presence, and therefore, creating a long, thick string of ice.

The frosted missiles shattered into Iwagakure's sheltering barricade. Stone exploded and crumbled into pieces from such an incredible force. It was similar to a bullet penetrating human flesh. The guards were now on the offensive, utilizing their earth techniques to create large, stone pillars, akin to that of the first. With every missile that the leader of the former assassination battalion had destroyed, he would instantaneously create a new one in its place. He still attempted to complete his objective: to kill the Tsuchikage. These chumps weren't going to stop a soldier such as himself.

He was close now. All he had to do was search for an opening. Most were too small, and he didn't have enough time to form more missiles to breach the barricade. He would have to jump. The captain brought himself into position to administer the jump, only to have a stone obelisk rise up to block his entry point. _This is it_, he thought, _I'm going to have to break through the pillar and hopefully make it inside_. He crouched down and leapt up, allowing his icy warhead to unleash itself upon the pedestal and managed to successfully grab onto the end of the beam and tunnel through. He was lucky. He had made it. The former leader assembled more hand signs and and turned as he fell down towards the city. He now faced the dome-like structure encasing the city and straightened a fist forward.

"**Hyoton: Koka Hyojin** (Ice Release: Concentrated Ice Spike)!" A elongating cone of braided ice enclosed around his forearm and launched itself rapidly, twisting around thinner and thinner still until the cone latched onto the barricade and hurdled the Rain captain out to the Tsuchikage building. It was recognizable as such because it was the tallest and it was the only building that had the kanji for "rock" printed large on its crest. Forcing the cone to bend upward, he didn't end up smashing into the crest. He released himself from the conoid, causing it to melt as soon as he did so, and accomplished a perfect landing at the summit; skidding to a halt as he did so.

He stood up and brushed himself clean. Strangely, he felt that something was there. Something behind him, peering through him as if it had x-ray vision. The chakra was intense and the pressure of it could nearly crush him. His eyes widened and he swept around and saw this thing for what it was. His target was confirmed. There was no denying that this was indeed the Tsuchikage. The same Tsuchikage that had led the attack on the Rain Country and had wishes of wiping it off the face of the Earth. it would be his land. He was going to take it. This captain in front of him, only a few feet away, was the only thing that could stop his plans from taking action.

He was an older man; probably near his 40s. But, he had an over-confident look in his eyes. His name was Dokuro Ishi. He was the kind of guy that wanted to land the hurt on you like a ton of bricks. Dokuro was all about action. His brown cloak was hugged a white undershirt and was kept together snuggly by a black belt with a silver buckle around his waist. He wore a pair of gray sweatpants with long, fur boots that were tied up each with their own laces. An all-natural look with earthy colors. Fitting. His tanned skin, graying hair, short, itchy beard, and dark eyes were all just a number of features that looked good with his young wrinkles. As much as he looked like an elderly man, he certainly was muscular. Maybe he was on steroids.

"I heard that your _entire_ squadron was knocked out by a _single_ attack. My, that certainly is sad. It's sad that they couldn't all be here to witness the fall of a great and famous Jinchuriki such as yourself," the old man talked big, but he knew that there was no way he'd stand up to _this_ Jinchuriki. His voice was extremely Irish. So Irish, he could've been faking it. "It's so lucky of me that I could have the honor of fighting _you_, laddie."

The Jinchuriki starred down Dokuro with his cold eyes. There was no fear. There was no anger. And yet, there was no calm. He gritted his dog teeth back and forth in his mouth. He stood up straight and on his guard. The lust for this old man's blood was all he needed. When you're at war, killing is as easy as breathing. However, he could help but smile at this man. He appreciated his will to fight, but his days were going to end if he didn't keep his mouth shut. The Rain-nin did not need to speak to show his feelings. He always believed, quite literally, that actions spoke louder than words. It wasn't often that you heard this Jinchuriki speak.

"Though, I suppose that if your squad was _so_ weak as to die in a single blow from a _rock_, then I'm going to take a gander and say that _you_ aren't much better. After all, a group is only as strong as their weakest link. If it was the case that you were all _that_ weak, then _you_ must be- Ack!" The Jinchuriki's hand was on Dokuro's throat in a flash. His thumb rubbed against the windpipe of his foe. he could've killed him there. But, he held back, if only for a little bit. The old man didn't deserve to be the Tsuchikage if he could be caught off-guard like this.

"I _dare_ you to finish that sentence," the Jinchuriki growled ruthlessly. For a second, it seemed like it was already over. But, _he_ was the one who was caught off-guard.

"-weak as well!" a voice behind him finished, clapping its hands. The Jinchuriki's eyes widened and he slowly turned his head around. At first, he could've believed that this was either Dokuro or a rock clone. But, it was neither. "That was good! If only you had planned out the fact that there isn't one Dokuro Ishi."

"There's two," the first Dokuro, whom he was choking, continued for his doppelganger twin. He grabbed the Jinchuriki's arm the clenched his throat and forcefully released the hand's grip on him. Once this was done, he threw him into a barred fence nearby. "I may be Dokuro, but this is my twin brother, Hone Ishi. You've been fooled, kid!" The two twins laughed horridly. One Irish accent was enough, but two?

"If you want to assassinate one of us-" Hone began, sliding over to his brother and turned so he was back-to-back with him.

"-you'll have to do us both!" Dokuro ended, and the two brothers chuckled again. This hadn't been part of the plan. Two Tsuchikages? Who ever heard of that? Why had Kagayaku looked into this? It was no matter. This would be difficult, but unless they had a triplet, he wouldn't be had again. The Jinchuriki slowly, but steadily brought himself back up to his feet.

"So, you think you're being funny? Well..." A cold wind began to blow strongly throughout the vicinity. The brothers each raised an eyebrow. They had not a clue what was going on. Just as the former captain didn't know there were two Tsuchikage brothers, they had not a clue what a Jinchuriki exactly was. What a blow to the face this was going to be. The twins began to mutter things to themselves, wondering what exactly was going on and why it had suddenly gotten so cold. They were clueless. "You two assholes crying like a bunch of shit-heads is gonna crack _me_ up just fine!" he roared, his eyes now glowing. Darkness began to close in sooner than expected.


	3. Prologue, part 3

**Prologue, part 3**

Naruto's eyes widened, as if signaling his attack. The crime lord reacted immediately by forming hand signs. His hands trembled upon entering the final seal, "Suiton-" but he was struck before he could finish. A red claw slashed across his chest, leaving tears in his black t-shirt. The claw even burned his skin. Kagayaku was knocked back and splattered to the ground quickly, ending up flat on his back. He lifted his head up to see the plasma stretch even further and grow larger until it it began to slam down. Kagayaku rolled out of the way just before the ground underneath him crunched in. Dust and smoke rose up from the earth and Kagayaku turned and watching the red, bubbling claw pull back. _If he can do this much damage with just two tails_, he thought, eyes wide, _I can't imagine what he can do with anymore_. The gleaming, crimson eyes gave off a glow through the dust, as they scanned through it.

Kagayaku pulled himself up from the dirt and tore off his sweatshirt, creating more hand signs; trying to execute what he meant to do earlier. "**Suiton: Suishoha** (Water Release: Water Shockwave)!" he called out. The lake began shake with uncertainty. Naruto turned towards the water. A tidal wave lifted up from the water. It was gargantuan in size. The force of it shook the trees and the sands surrounding them. Naruto starred at it as it came at him. Soon enough, the tidal wave flooded the area, crushing down on the Kyuubi's Jinchuriki. Kagayaku leapt into the air and landed on the water. Some of smaller trees were uplifted from their roots while the larger trees became stuck there as they drowned. Instead of a lake, it was now a basin that was several or more acres wide. The hills were the only things keeping them in. The crime boss knew his country's terrain well. He was now on the advantage. For now.

After a short moment, the water that was standing where Naruto once was began to bubble. It soon began to steam as well. Something red and volcanic began to glow underwater, causing it to turn red. Kagayaku could tell what was coming. The basin began to shake and a whirlpool spiraled wildly, becoming larger and larger until finally, an explosion of red and black chakra dug another basin in the water. The blonde-haired Jonin's eyes were completely red as he screamed out. A red force-field encased Naruto and, inside the sphere, another tail sprouted out beside the first two. Once it was complete, he curled up into a ball, and then, upon raising his head, the force-field exploded into a chakra shockwave. As much as Kagayaku attempted to stand his ground by focusing his chakra to his feet, he couldn't, and was forcefully released, flying back meters away from the shockwave. He fell into the water and began to sink down. This was something else.

Kagayaku swam to the surface, peeping his head out from the depths of the water. He gasped for air, only to see Naruto now landing on the water on all fours. The water around him boiling. The heat of the chakra cloak covering Naruto could have hearted the entire pool of water into a hot spring. Kagayaku pulled himself out of the water and stood there with his legs out wide and heaved for breath. He kept his eyes on Naruto as the transition to his three-tailed state was complete. The red in the Jinchuriki's eyes now shrunk down to the irises and his black-lipped smile was wider and more devilishly twisted than before. After a silent pause, Naruto leaned back on his legs and Kagayaku knew he was about to attack. He was unsure what he was about to do however, Naruto clamped one red claw onto the water and began to walking back, stretching it. Kagayaku, puzzled at first, began to get the idea. He was going to launch himself. Kagayaku attempted to clamor out of the way, but it was too late. With a violent howl, the red-eyed Jinchuriki shot himself like a bullet towards the crime boss. He had no choice but to dive out of the way. Naruto was going so fast, he couldn't control his speed. He crashed into a mountain far away. The strength of the crash was tremendously strong, causing the mountain to spew lava. With smoke exiting from the mountain, the skies began to turn black and the molten rock glowed in the distance.

Kagayaku watched this catastrophe from the basin. he was lucky to survive that. For a second, he could've sworn that Naruto had broken the sound barrier. _Surely, that must've been near-suicidal to do that_, he thought, smiling at himself. _He was strong, but a damn fool to try something so reckless._ The man pulled himself out from the water and shook himself off. He was sopping wet. "Damn, and this was my good shirt too," he mumbled to himself, attempting to wring out his black t-shirt. Just then, he heard a blood-curdling scream from the peak of the mountain. Kagayaku looked out and smirked, _he must be cooking himself in that volcano he made. Serves him right._

However, in that instant, a red, plasma claw stretched out in a flash and wrapped itself around the crime lord, squeezing him to death. "_KAGAYAKU!!!_" A scream came out from the peak again. Naruto was alive. In a strange twist of fate, Kagayaku was pulled away from the basin at lightning speed. In a split-second he could see Naruto's face. It seemed as if everything was in slow-motion. The blonde-haired Jonin brought his bubbling fist back and rammed it into Kagayaku's stomach. Everything began to shake wildly. The crime lord's vision began to funnel outward. Next thing he knew, he went flying down toward the basin and rushed into the water with a sharp crack. In that same moment, a geyser of lava launched up from the depths of the basin. Naruto roared out to the world from the top of the makeshift volcano. He had done it. The Rain-nin was dead.

Suddenly, several ropes of water spiraled around the geyser of lava and cooled it into rock. There was more than enough water to do this. In fact, there was so much, that upon becoming rock, the water eroded it down into into a brown mush. Water spilled from the sky and it began to rain with the excess water used. Naruto slowly peered down toward the basin to examine what had stopped the flow of lava. "**Suiton: Sutensui no Jutsu** (Water Release: Acid Rain-Water Technique)!" could be heard. Naruto's crimson eyes widened and he looked up at the smoked sky. A drop of rain burned his nose, which healed instantly. Soon enough, acidic rain began falling from the black sky at an alarming rate. There was so much pouring down on the Jinchuriki. The Kyuubi's cloak couldn't heal it all fast enough. he felt a burning sensation that he had never felt before. He skin began to bubble and burn away into the red cloak which encased his body. He breathed in and howled up at the sky. A massive shockwave erupted from the sound. The rain shifted its direction completely away from him. It was a greenish-brown.

"**Suiton: Suijinheki** (Water Release: Water Encampment Wall)!" the lake called out. A tunnel of water rose up from the murky depths and sheltered the one whom had been thought dead by such a force. The tunnel proceeded forward, then shot like an arrow straight for the blonde-haired Jinchuriki. Naruto purely crouched down on all fours, ready for any such attack. The water arrow reached him, then suddenly dispersed. Kagayaku appeared, with Naruto too shocked to reacted; water from the acidic rain collected around the crime lord's arm in that instant, but spiraled around it so it wouldn't burn him. Because of this collection, the rain stopped falling and resembled a long, spinning top. Kagayaku brought back the acid spear and, surprisingly, performed and uppercut, sending Naruto into the sky. "**Suiton: Suhana Tensuijin** (Water Release: Acid Flower Rain-Water Spike)!" A loud sizzle was born as this was done. A burning streak could be seen through the center of the blonde's face. Kagayaku hunched down and then suddenly appeared in front of him. Naruto tilted his head forward at him. This man was a poltergeist.

"It's time you went to sleep, Jinchuriki!" Naruto's body shook in fear. he turned around and saw an evil shadow of himself as he was. A fourth tail grew from the shadow and mutated into the demonic Kyuubi form in which he had become years ago. The miniature Kyuubi wrapped its terrifying claws around the fearful ninja. He attempted to let go, but the Kyuubi began to meld with him. This didn't feel right. It wasn't real. It was genjutsu, but it was already too late for him. He couldn't think. Naruto screamed in terror. Kagayaku took this opportunity to strike. He grabbed the confused Jonin's collar. He spun around once to get some momentum and then launched the boy down toward the basin below. Hand signs formed once again. "**Suiton: Daibakure no Jutsu** (Water Release: Great Whirlpool Technique)!" The once calm lake now flushed downward into the form of a massive torrent of rushing water. The water bubbled from below. Naruto didn't realize he was drowning. Naruto _couldn't_ realize he was drowning. The genjutsu had already taken its toll on him and there was no escape.

Darkness began to veil his sight. he was out cold. _What... happened? Why am I here?_ he thought. He found himself in front of the gate. That same fateful gate. The seal that bonded it together had a few tears in it already. Naruto had gone progressed pretty far in his transformations. Especially after his victory over Pain. It was his victory however, as it was instead the Kyuubi's. During that fight, he was forced to go beyond his own limit... and it cost him.

_**You have a debt to pay, young kit...**_

Naruto starred up at the gates. He knew of this debt. He knew of it very well. he couldn't believe this, but in order to survive, he would be forced. He had no choice, "Very well," he replied, and looked up with crimson eyes, "do your worst." A deep laughter could be heard. It was a growl, indeed. This fight would not have a happy ending.

Kagayaku looked down into the murky, poisonous depths. There's no way he'd be able to survive that, he thought to himself and smirked as he turned on heel and began to walk off however, before a vicious growl stopped him in his tracks. He sighed and slowly turned his view around behind him, "You just don't quit... do you?" he asked rhetorically. White, circular eyes peered out at their enemy. His dark-red chakra fur prickled. He own breath was poison to him. His jaw cracked several times before a smile curled from ear to ear. He sat on all fours. The water underneath him sizzled and bubbled. Five tails flickered back and forth. It was a scary sight. Kagayaku didn't care. "If you want to kill me so much, why won't you just get on with it?" he mocked. This wasn't a good idea. The five-tailed, fox-like abomination leapt at the crime lord. Before he knew what hit him, he was down in the water with the beast on top of him. It grabbed his shoulder and attempted to devour his face. It wanted blood. Kagayaku grabbed it by its jaws, but it was far too strong for him. He struggled with all of his might. He let go and grabbed the beast by the neck and positioned his hand to mimic a blade. He swung it across the neck of the evil before him and cleanly sliced its head off-- only to grow a new one in its place. Kagayaku made a disgusted face, "What are you?" he asked before his head was inside the mini-Kyuubi's mouth.


	4. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The Jinchuriki hopped off from his ice missile as he returned from his encounter with the Tsuchikage brothers. He sighed with relief and opened his eyes. Now that my mission is over, I suppose I should return to Amegakure. Kagayaku's probably waiting, he thought to himself. He had arrived back at the very same ledge that he had started from. Where his men had soon died. As much as he mourned for their loss, all he could do right now was attend to himself for now. He hadn't expected the battle against the Ishi brothers to have taken so long, but they had gone through an entire night like it was nothing. He felt fatigued. He needed to search for a place to rest immediately. No doubt the guards would chase him down to the ends of the Earth after the murder of both Tsuchikages. He believed they deserved it, as he couldn't stand their Irish accents any longer.

The Jinchuriki leapt into the dark forest. Dawn was approaching, and if he hadn't found safe cover soon, he'd be dead. The chakra he wasted on them was unbearable. Besides, he was tired anyway. After jumping from branch to branch for a little, in the corner of his eye, he swore he could see a dark, fox-like figure with glowing, white eyes following him. He stopped at a small clearing to investigate, but it appeared only to be his imagination. Something bad had happened. He could feel it. A shiver railed through his spine and the wind blew wildly for a quick moment. Oh yeah, something had gone wrong. Things like these were always bad omens. However, he believed that he could figure out what it was. The shadow he saw had looked like a fox. That's when he remembered. He recalled back to that time. That woman, Konan, had tried to capture him. But, that was two years ago. Still, if he could recall, he believed that it was, indeed the shadow of the Kyuubi he had seen. Did this strange omen involve the Kyuubi in some way? He wasn't sure. The Jinchuriki just knew that he had to keep moving.

The light approached sooner than anticipated. The fleeing Jinchuriki could only hope that the Rock-nin guards weren't on his tail. He kept his cool and simply kept going. Little did he know that a small cabin was conveniently placed in a large clearing in the forest. Whether abandoned or not, he was forced to exploit this opportunity. The Jinchuriki landed on his feet and barged in through the front door. The cabin had the feel of an inn for than anything. It possibly could have been a tea house, but he couldn't think about something so insignificant. Inspecting it further, there stood a counter and behind it were several or more beds. Someone with a black cloak over them was sleeping on the most-left one. Two tables and a number of chairs were encircling them. A young woman with dark brown hair and an apron blinked curiously at the Jinchuriki. By the vibes she was getting from him, the young woman could tell he was in a hurry.

"Excuse me, miss," he nudged her over and quickly squeezed himself in a space underneath the counter. It was tight and compact, but he could manage. It was part of a ninja's training that they should be able to fit into the smallest areas possible without being sighted by the opposition. The girl bent down to get a better look at him. He wasn't in the greatest of shape. His pants were torn and the jacket he had wore at the beginning of the assassination attempt was gone. His white t-shirt had a slash across the upper torso.

"Are you... hurt at all? she asked with concern in her voice. The curiosity was already clear, and her corner could be matched by anyone whom had just seen a battered up Rain-nin barge in through their front door and request a place to hide. The Jinchuriki put a finger vertically to his lips, signaling for her to keep quiet. The girl didn't quite understand until several Rock-nin had just entered into her inn. They had the look of a mad bull; each of them wishing to slaughter the Jinchuriki until he was nothing by a bloody pulp and his remains trailed throughout their great capital city.

"Madame, have you seen a young man with spiky purple hair run about these woods?" the center soldier asked through his gritted teeth. The woman shook her head anxiously. "Dammit!" the guard swore under his breath and then turned to his men. "We're gonna find that son-of-a-bitch, even if it takes us to the ends of the Earth! Let's drench ever stone and pebble with his blood!" The guard speaking to them was obviously the captain. He turned back towards the young inn-keeper, "If you see him, let us know. We'll be waiting." The Rock-nin rushed out of the inn as fast as they could in search of the Jinchuriki, not even close to realizing that he was hiding under the desk; cautiously waiting for them to leave. Most Rock-nin had the stereotypical mindset of being typically unenthusiastic to search all areas and often being full of themselves.

"Are they gone?" the Jinchuriki asked, looking up at the browned-haired inn-keeper. She nodded and he sighed in relief. He was still safe. If they had gotten any further toward him before, then he would've been forced to fight. he didn't have the chakra necessary to fight off a group of soldier Rock-nin. At least, not if he wanted to stay sane. The Jinchuriki crawled out from under the counter and stood back up to his feet. He was exhausted, and having the sight of a bed in front of him only made him feel the tiredness coming on even more. He feel down onto the feathery mattress and his eyes had a subconscious of their own. They shut themselves the instant he had gotten comfortable. The last image he had seen was the Sharingan starring him in the eye.

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Day had turned to night and everything was calm. A rustle here and there sifted through the trees. This fed the fire. The fire and flames leveled the forest. The Jinchuriki's eyes slit open. The foul smell of smoke and ash had risen into the air. His eyesight blurred between consciousness. Was this a dream? Was it real? He couldn't tell for sure. A plundered log from the cabin smacked the floor with a loud crack. This immediately woke up the Jinchuriki to his fullest. This was no dream. The burning inn, the flaming trees... this was no dream. It was a nightmare. One that had come to life. How it happened, he did not know. His head swerved from side-to-side. The young inn-keeper was clearly dead. Her blood soaked into the floor. Several kunai protruded from various areas on her body. The Jinchuriki turned his head around. The black cloaked man was gone from his bed. He did not see a body of him in the vicinity. He could only be alive or had died elsewhere. Still, he had to escape from the hungry fire, or else he'd end up like the girl. His chakra may have replenished, but his Hyoton techniques were nearly useless in such a fire. He would have to escape without them.

The purple-gray haired young man slid out from under another collapsing log and kicked over the counter. The register fell with a clatter. All of the money was taken as well. Robbers of some kind must have done this. The Jinchuriki climbed over the counter and headed for the exit. Several burning logs attempted to meet him along the way, but he quickly leapt for it and out the doorway before the entire house submerged itself into a pile of rubble. He sighed with relief, but this was too early, as there was no clear way out of the forest, and the trees around him were in flames. He would have to make a run for it.

The Jinchuriki headed toward the east of his position, as there was more of a pathway that way than anywhere else. He sprinted out of there. A tree came crashing down from his roots, causing the flames to spread even faster. But, before he could even get to safety, he found a fist in his face and everything veiled into complete and utter darkness.

_**Reiki Okami... it's time you've woken up, young pup. Your true mission begins here... with the Uchiha.**_

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Reiki awoke from his unconscious slumber with his icy blue eyes wide and alert. The Jinchuriki shot up from where he lay, worried whether or not he was still in the fire. Was he dead? Perhaps not. The sounds of explosions could be heard in the far distance. Lights shook the trees and the earth vibrated under him. He blinked with curiosity, turning his head to his left. The black- cloaked man from before stood with a hand leaning against a pine tree next to him. He looked down on the bottom of the hill with a dark hood shadowing his face. Reiki could only guess what could be happening. Then pain struck him like a fatal blow. He grunted lightly and gently rubbed his right temple where he'd been struck. The black-cloaked man turned his attention to the Jinchuriki. His expression was cold, but the Sharingan was clearly visible. It shone in the darkness like the moon itself. However, it was unlike other Sharingan he had heard about. The Sharingan were simply supposed to have tome in a circular pattern around the pupil, but this man had a three tome Sharingan in his right eye and Mangekyou Sharingan permanently on in his left. The rumors were true. Just a stare could give you a dazed feeling. The Mangekyou Sharingan seemed curious most of all. How could one have Mangekyou Sharingan on all the time; especially in one eye? There were so many questions Reiki had, as he had never met anyone with Sharingan. He believed that their heritage was nearly extinct.

The man with the Sharingan blinked and turned back to the exploding lights. Reiki stood up and checked himself quickly. He must have been dragged, as mud covered over his torn, whit shirt and his pants seemed to some patches torn from them. He was pretty messed up. Nonetheless, he slowly walked over next to the black-cloaked Sharingan user, looking at him first with a strange look, but then shifted his head over to the lights. He jumped back immediately after seeing it. He could not bear to watch. But, the Jinchuriki had to look-- to see what exactly was happening. He tip-toed over back next to the black-cloaked man. He was very still and didn't seem to be affected in anyway. His Sharingan was entranced at the sight below. However, Reiki could only watch as, below, the capital city of the Rain Country, Amegakure; his home, was being burned to the ground. It was no more a city than it was a flaming ruin. Amegakure was glassed. And who better to do such than while he was simply taking a nap? The Rock-nin were the only logical explanation. The city for taking their leaders' lives.

"Why? All of those innocent people... dead. How could they be so cruel?" Reiki asked philosophically, not being able to believe his eyes.

"You took their leader," the black-cloaked figure began, "it was only right of them to take their revenge."

Reiki turned his head slowly at the man; with his eyes filled with rage at such a comment, his hands tightened into fists. He loved his country. he loved it more than anything and this man thought he could go and discriminate it in such a way. He wouldn't allow it, "What are you saying? That I was wrong in doing what I was told?" he asked through his gritting teeth.

"How are we to judge what is right and wrong? In war, both sides have such things, and yet, either side believes them good or evil? Tch, there is none in the matter, as each side believes themselves good and just," the Sharingan user continued, only infuriating Reiki more. To say such things was an act of conspiracy, and the Jinchuriki wouldn't allow it.

The Jinchuriki grabbed the black-cloaked man by the collar of his cloak and thrust him against the tree next to him. He was strong enough to lift the Sharingan user's feet off the ground. He looked up at him with blinding fury. They starred into each other's eyes for a moment before the Sharingan user began to snicker. Reiki immediately moved his hands up to the man's neck and was ready to choke him the minute he did something to agitate him even more, "What is so _freaking_ funny?"

"What are you going to do? Kill me? I don't think you realize just yet who I am-"

"Yeah, and well, guess what? I don't give a shit! You take back what you said about _my_ country-"

This only began to make the Sharingan user laugh even more, "_Your_ country? The day that this area of land is _your_ country, I'll start cowering in fear, but for now, you need my help."

Reiki leaned his head in closer to the Uchiha's, as if to inspect him, but nonetheless, was unwilling to do such as to accept any help from a stranger to these lands, "Why would I need your help? Who are you?" he asked more curiously than angry now, but kept his hands clamped onto the black-cloaked man's neck.

"I am Sasuke Uchiha. If you want your land saved from Iwagakure, then I suggest you take your hands off of me and let me help you," the Uchiha commanded with no expression in his face. Reiki did such and released the Uchiha from his clutches. He was far more suspicious of this man now then before. _Before he was just a man under a cloak, and now he says he's Sasuke Uchiha?_ he thought, backing away from him with caution. _Sasuke Uchiha was said to be a missing-nin from Konohagakure, and worked under Orochimaru. He was supposed to be his right-hand man. So, what's he doing here?_ An Uchiha was always trouble. He heard of their dark history. Such as that of Madara Uchiha. _On second thought, what's he doing alive? I thought he was killed by Madara Uchiha... but, now he's standing there, like nothing ever happened. Was he possibly resurrected, perhaps? Or does the Mangekyou Sharingan in his left eye account for his being alive?_ According to legend, when an Uchiha obtains a second Mangekyou Sharingan after collecting the Sharingan eyes of another, they become physically immortal. So, from whom had he collected that second Mangekyou Sharingan from?

"If you're willing to accept my help, follow me. There's someplace we must head to first," Sasuke added, leaping up into the trees of the scorched forest. Reiki watched him for a second. He had the last opportunity to save his country. he quickly looked back at Amegakure. It was burnt to a crisp now. There was nothing left of it by ash. He sighed as he made his final decision. He followed the Uchiha and never looked back. Never did he realize this would be the last time he could ever see Amegakure again...


	5. Prologue, part 4

**Prologue, part 4**

The trees were silent as he walked. They were fearful of the blonde-haired ninja. Was he human? Was he an animal? Could he be both? These questions scared them. They did not dare wish to ask. What if he were to turn on them? That would not be pretty. They kept quiet. The wind, not scared of such a fearful person, blew soundly through the trees. The red burns on his skin began to sink away and rejuvenate into new cells. Still, blood smeared over his mouth. The blood of a false victim. The blood... of an innocent man. Naruto could no longer feel human. The animal within him, he felt, was he. He could no longer look at himself the same way again. The last time he had done such was with the girl he loved. He could never speak of her name after what had happened between them. Even Kakashi-sensei... oh, he could not bear to think of them. All of his former friends... those he had considered family were dead to him. He only had one person left.

"Konohamaru... forgive me," he whispered as he took a kunai out from his back pouch. He turned the blade towards him. He raised his arm. A swing of the weapon and it summoned blood. Warm blood that trickled down his orange jumpsuit. He had pierced his stomach. He smiled, but the wound quickly healed. Naruto's eyes widened and his mouth shook into a frown. Something past fury, past anger, past loathing, burned inside of him like a torch.

His body shook more and more until finally, he thought he could burst into flames, "That's what you want Kyuubi...? Is that it? You want me to suffer?" he whispered furiously, his eyes twitching as he peered down at the wound. Steam came from it, signaling that the wound was healing itself. He couldn't take it. He was going insane, "IS THAT WHAT YOU FUCKING WANT? FINE, GO AHEAD!!! SEE IF I _FUCKING_ CARE!!!" The Kyuubi's aura exploded around him once more. One by one, red tails launched out from him. One, two, three, four, five, six... he didn't care anymore. He had nothing left to live for. But, he was transforming too fast. blood poured out from every pore on his body. He couldn't transform fast enough. Then he remembered. _Konohamaru... I don't want the same thing to happen to you... you aren't a Jinchuriki_, he thought. The tails immediately receded.

His blood quickly steamed away. It was being taken back into his body. _No_, he continued, _I don't want him to lose everything_. Naruto fell down to his knees and fell back instantly onto the ground. He lay there for a moment, collecting his sanity back. It had been like this for two years; ever since he had killed Pain. His vision suddenly began to fade in and out to the gates of the Kyuubi. It starred down on him and his vision trembled when it spoke.

_**Fall! Fall into the deepest depths of sadness and depression! I wish to be unleashed! Release me!**_

_No, I shall not leave. I shall not obey! You are in _my _body!_ Naruto had to fight back. His anger was his weapon as well as his weakness. He could use it to fend the Kyuubi.

_**I will not be fended off like some puppy! Release me or I will do it myself! I have waited 18 years for this! Release me!**_

Naruto stood up on his feet. He was a little off-balance at first, but soon caught him. His arms hung limp as he stood hunched over. His left eye was squinting and trembling. The Kyuubi was forcing the transformation. A burning sensation filled the left half of his face. He clamped his hands on it in complete agony. Naruto screamed as burns began to protrude from his left outward. Orange fur was growing out from the burns. He closed his eyes; trying to force the Kyuubi back inside of him. It was no good. His eyes snapped open. A black ring formed around his left eye and it became a bright crimson. His jaw on the left half of his face began to grow out towards his ears and his lips became black. He couldn't stop the change. His left sleeve shredded itself and his muscles began to bulge as orange fur grew out from his own hairs. It mutated his arm into a long, orange claw.

Naruto had to stop the transformation. With whatever control he had left in his arms, he used to form hand signs. He formed a triangle with his middle and index fingers pushed together and a purple seal began to form on the palms of both hands. His hands began to burn. The seals were literally searing into his skin. He thrust his palms down on his chest. The Kyuubi roared in dismay. Its plan had failed. "**Fuin Jutsu: Bijuu Chijimeru** (Sealing Technique: Tailed Demon Constrict)!" the blonde-haired Jonin choked out. This was a difficult technique to perform, and therefore exclusive to him. This was also because he was the only known Jinchuriki to have this technique done on them. The user would have to have the Bijuu forcefully take over and release itself beyond the current capacity of the Jinchuriki. Since no other Bijuu are likely to do such, this technique was his own.

The fur withdrew back into Naruto's body. His left arm lowered down to its normal size and the fur died off. The black ring around his left eye crumbled away. The red in his eye faded away back to white. Except for his missing sleeve, he was in control again. Naruto heaved a sigh of relief, but he choked on his own breath. Blood flooded out from his mouth. His eyes became glazed. Time waited patiently. Soon enough, Naruto fell to the ground with his blank eyes wide open. He was completely knocked out. He could have been dead.

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Naruto expected to find himself in Konoha Hospital. He expected to see his friends smiling before him. He expected to be okay. He expected to be smiling back. But, his expectations never came true. He found himself on his side, cold and disoriented; lying on the dusty earth underneath him. A drop of rain water splashed against his eye, causing him to wince. The sky was crying for him. Dark clouds trampled overtop the bewildered trees as they swayed wildly. A vicious storm was brewing. He could tell by the air. However, it was strange to him that it was cold to brew such a beast in the sky. Shouldn't it have been humid?

"Time to get up, Kyuubi no Yoko," a voice called out calmly the instant lightning struck a nearby tree. A flame was born and it grew, sweeping down the tree and immediately spread to another. Rain tapped at the ground. It came down faster and faster. It was a swarm of bullets firing down on the vicinity. The flames were extinguished. Naruto could feel an a strange aura around him. It began to crush him like a tidal wave. He was stuck to the ground by the force of the chakra. It was strong. Strong enough to instill fear into the trees. Just like the Kyuubi... only it was another.


	6. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Lights and sounds flooded by neon increased the perpetual distortion of the bewildered Jinchuriki. Say that ten times fast. Unjust people with a sick sense of fun. Music that blared out from every access point. It smelled of drugs and disorder. A deadly combination indeed. It was a club. A club with the liking of danger around every corner. All of this was unknown to the Jinchuriki. However, they weren't there for dancing and false enlightenment. The black-hooded Uchiha led the Jinchuriki through the club. he seemed to have no trouble getting past them. Everyone seemed to bump into Reiki.

Eventually, they reached a door. Two tall, muscular bodyguards stood at the entrance of the door. They guarded it vigilantly; their eyes peering across the club folk. Any sign of danger would be Hell for the perpetrator. Strangely, each of them had a long, brutal scar around one of their hands; each being around the opposite hand of the other. But, for now, their eyes were scanning the Uchiha. Reiki couldn't help but sense a dab of fear in these same eyes. The bodyguards must have known the Uchiha from an incident of some kind. Perhaps Sasuke was even involved. Nonetheless, the Uchiha need not look at them. His Sharingan was well covered. "Password?" The man on the left asked. The Uchiha did not hesitate. He formed hand signs that Reiki was not familiar with. "**Fuin Jutsu: Bijuu Chijimeru **(Sealing Technique: Tailed Demon Constrict)!" Sasuke formed his middle and index fingers into the shape of a triangle by pressing them together. A flaming purple triangle of the same size and shape shot out onto the stone door before him. It shone brightly and a crease on the door formed along the middle.

"You may enter," the man to the right of door replied calmly with his arms still folded in front of him. Reiki had no choice but to follow the Uchiha once he began to push the door open. The man on the right put a hand on Reiki's shoulder and pushed him back, "Oi!" the Jinchuriki yelled out to the masculine men. They merely starred him in the eye and replied in unison, "You don't know the password, you can't enter."

This made the Uchiha stop from pushing opening the door. He didn't even turn around, "He's coming with me," he assured sternly; only turning his head to the right on doing so. The men wouldn't budge. "He's not going anywhere if he doesn't know the password," they repeated in unison.

The Uchiha didn't like this answer, "What did you say?" he asked. The neon lights began to flicker on and off, "Or do you wish to lose another hand?" The club folk stopped dancing and began to complain, "What's happening?" someone asked. "What's going on? What's up with the lights?" several others asked. The men looked at each other for a second and nodded. They seemed to have changed their minds, "Yes... yes, he may go with you," the man on the man on the left responded, swallowing before completing his sentence.

The Uchiha turned his head forward again, "That's what I thought," he then proceeded to continue opening the doors. _What was that about?_ Reiki asked himself, blinking curiously, but did not hesitate to enter behind Sasuke. The two of them entered a small space similar to a dark room. There was only red light. The stone doors slammed behind them and the crease disappeared into oblivion. Reiki looked around the red-lit room. It was empty, but completely clean. It seemed as if it were brand new. As if not a single germ had penetrated it. The Uchiha was completely calm. He hadn't moved a muscle.

A loud speaker clicked on. There was a faint buzzing at first, then nothing. There were two clicks. Then nothing. Reiki looked for a speaker of some kind, but he couldn't find any such object. "Who is it?" a deep, ominous voice asked. His words were clean and his voice was crisp. Still, the voice seemed to be... unreal. "It's just me," Sasuke looked back at Reiki. His Sharingan was deactivated from his right eye, but the Mangekyou Sharingan in his left was still peering out at him. Reiki blinked with a surprised frown on his face. He was anxious, and the Uchiha could tell, "And I brought a friend along as well," he added, turning his hooded face back to the front wall. The Jinchuriki found it odd that he continued to keep his face hidden away from the world with that hood of his. Did he have something to hide? A scar, perhaps? Was his face mutilated in some kind of way? So many questions, but he knew that the Uchiha would answer none of them.

"Very well, I shall inspect the room now... and this _friend_ of yours," the voice on the speaker seemed to spit out the word 'friend' in a cold, but saddened and hopeful way. A mysterious green beam infected the infra-red light of the room. Reiki hissed at the beam under his breath as it passed over him like a specter. Sasuke smiled, "Jinchuriki hate this beam," a crease formed along the middle of the wall in front of him and it began to to open up, "but I guess you could say that's the point."

When the doors before them opened up, Reiki was astounded at what he saw. Stone and concrete made up the walls; similar to that of a basement. They weren't painted or colored at all. They were just gray. But what was on these walls was what the Jinchuriki marveled at. Scrolls, weapons, even tables with experiments on them made up the room. It was a horror of a sight. However, Reiki did not find himself scared, just startled. It was nothing he hadn't seen before. Many weapons manufacturers keep all of their experimental or most-profitable items locked up. Several doors were lined up next to one another. There were three. Three concrete, sliding doors, much like the one they exited through just then. The black one in the center was what caught his eye. It read, "DO NOT ENTER!" in large, red lettering. It was not locked. It was chained. Long, lengthy chains bore across it and hung there limply with several or more locks keeping them together. Reiki could only conclude that there was something behind _that_ door which somebody wanted to keep hidden. Lastly, a trail of paper led toward that very same door. The Jinchuriki could have swore that, looking down at it from an angle that it read-

But, a girl donning a similar black cloak to that of the Uchiha stepped on the piece of paper closest to Reiki, waking him up from his observant trance. Reiki blinked and looked up. A pale face with emerald green eyes and bubblegum pink hair starred him in the face. Shocked by this, he quickly stepped back from the girl. On further observation, a greenish-brown fluid was splattered all over her cloak. Either she puked or something exploded, "So, this is the one you've been telling me about Sasuke? I gotta tell you, he looks pretty damn beat," she sighed and folded her arms. "I can't be working with a man who doesn't know how to get himself clean."

"He just assassinated the two Tsuchikage brothers," the Uchiha explained briefly, not moving an inch when responding. The pink-haired girl froze after hearing this; her eyes snapping open wide. She turned her head swiftly toward Sasuke and pointed at the tattered Jinchuriki, "So... he's the one, eh? The one I heard about?" The Uchiha nodded. The girl blinked again and turned her sights back on Reiki with his mouth slightly agape, "Well, I'll get to work then. There's plenty that has to be done!" She was off, running toward the left gray door and was soon out of view.

Sasuke faced Reiki once again with a look of his Sharingan, "This is a laboratory designed for the purpose of hunting down and killing of-" but he was soon interrupted by the same pink-haired girl running back through the left gray door. "We're all ready, Sasuke-kun! You're friend can come with me now," she called to him. Reiki, at first finding this a little too extreme to comprehend, but went along for the ride. He walked over next to the frantic girl, quickly taking a last look back at Sasuke before entering the through the same gray door. This opened up to another infra-red room like the first. Reiki entered without a problem. Besides, he hadn't taken a proper look at the girl of this lab. Also the fact was, he couldn't stand being around the Uchiha.

The stone door soon closed up and a cranking sound could be heard. Then a click. Then another quick crank and they were off. From the feeling of being pushed down, he could guess that they were in an elevator this time around. He took a deep breath and leaned against the wall behind him with his arms folded across his chest. He closed his eyes for a moment. He was tense. The pink-haired girl could surely tell. Reiki was letting off excess chakra; unveiling his uncertain mood. Other than that however, the Jinchuriki was fine. He closed his eyes for a moment to collect his thoughts. He needed to cope with everything that had just happened. Time seemed to fly by. Had it only been an hour's time? Less than that, perhaps? Who could tell. All he had to think about was what course of action to take next. His eyes snapped open and the first thing he saw was the girl with the bubblegum pink hair. She didn't look at him. She didn't even face him. Her emerald eyes were facing the wall opposite to him and her back was turned. He thought he could remember recognizing from somewhere before, but when it reached the tip of his tongue, he immediately lost it. "We're here," a voice called to him; interrupting his thoughts.

The girl in the black cloak walked into a clear, glass room. It was spotless. So clean, it nearly blinded the Jinchuriki. Transitioning from a dark room to a light one wasn't fun. Reiki slowly walked into the large, spectacularly clean, glass room. He observed the space before him; with his eyes wandering to the floor below him. He nearly lost his balance as he saw that they were above a bottomless pit. A pool of darkness bubbled underneath the glass room. The girl with the pink hair however, did not appear so surprised.

The room was split into two rooms; only about a third of the entire space was dedicated to the first room they entered into. The other two-thirds were part of a larger room with several shoots at the edges of the bottom of that room that resembled shower heads. Reiki had two ideas what this room could be used for: as a torture chamber or for decontamination. The three outer most walls were painted cleanly in white, possibly to hide what would be going on in the room.

"Get up," she ordered emotionlessly, grabbing him by the arm and, from what it felt like, threw him up onto his feet. The young woman was, no doubt, strong, but this was just insane. Was she even thinking about it? With such strength, she could have nearly torn his limb from its socket. She then pushed him into the larger chamber while she, herself, headed over to a small keyboard-like device attached to the lower part of the outer room; centered to it. She appeared to be inputting orders or commands of some kind, but for what, he wasn't sure. After that, a green light flashed on at the top of the larger room; apparently signaling that it was ready for... whatever it was about to do. The pink-haired girl clicked one last button and the light above Reiki instantly blinked red. She nodded and rushed into the chamber, quickly pressing a panel on the wall to close the door that allowed excess into the large, white chamber. Oddly enough, she began quickly taking her clothes off in front of the confused Jinchuriki. The girl started taking her cloak off, revealing that she was wearing a red t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. She turned to Reiki as soon as she began stripping her pants off.

"Take your clothes off," she ordered. Reiki's eyes grew wide and a bright, red blush smothered his face. He was speechless. But, the girl didn't stop, although, she seemed very annoyed and frazzled when she quickly learned of his disobedience, "if you don't, your cloths will be vaporized off anyway... not that you would want to keep wearing _that_," she explained briefly. "And believe me, it hurts like Hell."

Reiki took a double-take from his tattered clothing back to the girl. He did what he was told without even a second thought, but one quick thing did come to mind, "Can I... keep my underwear on?" he asked, still a little under-the-weather.

"Fine," she answered, leaving her own on as well. Reiki merely nodded, turning around. He was still a young lad himself, and, of course, this girl was certainly attractive. He didn't want anything _else_ getting in his head, so he refused to look at her. Immediately, a sharp sizzle went off and white fumes began to cloud the glass room. Reiki could only guess why he was here. He assumed that both the Uchiha and this girl were affiliated with the Rain Country. Kagayaku must have told them to aid him in his killing of the Tsuchikages. So, why was this all still taking place? How did they know he killed the Tsuchikage brothers? Wasn't their mission over then? Or, perhaps it was that they were not, in fact, under the consent of the Rain Country's leader, but maybe the Uchiha needed him for something to help the Rain. After all, he promised him that he would help with Amegakure's deserving vengeance. Still, he couldn't help but think there was more to it. There had to be a catch of some kind, right?

"Say," the Jinchuriki began, "what's your name? I know the Uchiha's, but not yours. Who did you say you were again?" The pink-haired girl did not turn around upon answering. In fact, there was a slight hesitation to the coming of the answer.

"My name? I am... Sakura. Sakura Haruno," she answered, trying hard to hide any emotion, but it was clear that it was leaking out. Reiki turned his head and blinked, but was not wavered. He needed answers, "And... why am I here?" he asked next after a quick pause. Sakura did not turn around, for she did not answer. All was silent except for the pressing gas flooding the room. After a quick moment, the Jinchuriki quickly changed the subject. "What is this place? What's with the gas?" he asked calmly after turning his head back to its original position; away from the emerald-eyed, young girl.

Sakura was quick to answer this time around, "This is simply a decontamination chamber. In the next room, you and I are going to prepare for an assassination mission similar to the one with the two Tsuchikage brothers. Only," she stopped mid-sentence and lifted her head up to look at the ceiling, "you could say that the Tsuchikage assassination was merely a test. A test that was meant to prove your worth."

Reiki raised an eyebrow and turned himself toward Sakura. He didn't quite under stand what she meant by this, "So... are you saying that I was _supposed_ to kill them?"

The pink-haired girl smiled and wrapped her arms behind her back, "Not precisely. You did kill them based entirely on your proven skill," she turned her her head and smiled at Reiki, "but you didn't kill the _real_ Tsuchikage brothers."

Reiki's mind spiraled, but when he fully understood what she was talking about, his mind halted instantaneously. His breath shortened, his mind was blank, his eyes widened; his heart may have even skipped a beat. He gritted his teeth together as a shadow crossed over his eyes, "Then who did I kill?" he asked with anger beginning to boil inside of him, but her seemed frozen in place. Sakura kept her smile and turned her head back to the front wall and she giggled in response, "You killed two innocent, harmless people who were made into clones of those you were originally sent to kill," she explained briefly.

Reiki's fists clenched tightly and he began to shake. His head was hunched down and a tear began to form at the edge of his left eye. _They... didn't seem like innocent men when I fought them. Their movements, their techniques... they were all real... weren't they?_ he asked himself as the mist began to cloud his view.


	7. Prologue, part 5

**Prologue, part 5**

A long, black boot crushed down on the blonde-haired Jonin's head. Naruto was out of strength, but this did not mean he didn't struggle to fight it. The Kyuubi wouldn't even help him. It had betrayed him. No such valuable power came now. It was still constricted by the technique, "I gotta say, shit-head, I'm quite glad you used that freakin' technique!" a voice above Naruto's ear hissed, twisting his boot. Naruto winced. "You made my job a little easier," the same voice whispered before releasing the boot and bending down to grab the Jinchuriki by the collar.

There was no fighting. He did not attempt such. His once everlasting stamina had drained out of him. He couldn't even lift a hand in agony. He went numb. The figure lifted Naruto up above him by the collar of his jumpsuit. He lifted him high; almost as if he were flying. The figure's face was shadowed by a black hood over his head. A dark cloak covered his body. It had a sky-blue trim about it. Other than the black boots he wore, their weren't any other distinctive features that he could see. Naruto's vision was already clouding.

The rain poured harder than ever. This man's mysterious, twisted madness fueled it. It was like taking a shower. However, the rain felt like bullets to the Jinchuriki's skin. Who was this man? How did he know him? He sure didn't know. He had never seen this cloaked man before. The trees around him, attempted to cloak themselves in the rain, hoping that the man wouldn't see them. This, however, was unlikely to work. The figure saw them. He could see the bushes, the mud underneath his feet, the frightened trees. He saw the Kyuubi. He was far more aware than they thought comfortable.

"My god, you sure must've taken one hell of a beating to be such a sad state. It's pathetic! You disgrace the title of 'Jinchuriki'!" the man shouted, throwing Naruto aside like a rag doll. He wanted nothing of him. He spat on him in disgust. Nonetheless, he did not leave. In fact, he was intrigued. He splashed over next to the battered Jonin and kneeled down next to him on his left, "Ah, but you know, you did use five of those tails... _didn't ya_?" Naruto turned his head over to get a look at the figure. He still couldn't see his face. Still, how had this man know that he had activated five tails? "By the look on your pretty face," he continued sarcastically; mockingly, " I'd say you haven't a clue who _I am_." The man snickered and nearly ripped his hood off his from his head. That black hair. That pale face. His thin features... it couldn't have been. He was supposed to be dead!

The next thing Naruto knew, he was rammed up against a nearby tree; floating in the air and held by the collar of his jumpsuit. The black-cloaked man held a twisted smile on his face, "Rise and shine, sweetheart!" he hollered in his ear. "Bet ya didn't see this one comin', did ya? No, I don't _think_ so!" The man bashed Naruto's spine against the tree. This man... it was him after all. A smug, but ecstatic look was plastered onto the crime lord's face. It was _him_.

"Hmm... does 'Kagayaku' ring any bells?" he asked mockingly, putting an index finger to his chin, "Oh, yeah, that's right! You freakin' _killed_ me!" He held tight onto the orange collar of the jumpsuit and crashed him into the tree with incredible strength. Naruto was at a purgatorial state between consciousness and unconsciousness. He no longer knew what to believe. Kagayaku stepped over the shattered tree stump as the rest of the tree had tumbled down onto the forest floor.

"Well, guess what, pretty boy!? I would kill ya, but I'm not supposed to!" he shouted at the bewildered Jinchuriki, as if to wake him up, "I'm under orders to take you alive. But, you know," he began, kneeling down next to the Jinchuriki with a sinister smirk on his pale, cold expression, "that doesn't mean I can't have a lil' bit of fun, eh?"

Kagayaku took the Jinchuriki up by his hair and tossed him back onto the mudded path. He went down with a thud. The crime lord stalked over to him with a excited, cruel shadow over his face. This guy was completely insane. He stomped his boot down on Naruto's stomach once... twice... three times. Each time, Naruto coughed up more and more blood. This would be an awful death for the poor Jinchuriki. But, the crime boss had eventually stopped, but not before collecting rain water around his risen fist. It swirled around his arm ominously. Naruto, with his eyes barely slits, struggled to turn his head up at the malevolent man's face. He saw two, perhaps, three of him until finally, they clustered together. He saw the toothy smile and the great evil and revenge in his cold, disgusting eyes. They could have popped out his head, he was so happy. This was one sick man before him. Naruto could feel small tingling feeling in his finger; in his toes; even where the Kyuubi lay, but it wasn't nearly enough to save him. The Jinchuriki was going to be a dead man. he knew it. The trees knew it. The bushes knew it. The muddy path around him knew it. The rain even knew this. So did the Kyuubi.

The rain-water solidified, "Goodnight, Kyuubi no Yoko!" he laughed out loud before delivered the final, crushing blow. The water wisped down with a shriek. Was it crying? No, it was cheering. At last, this life of his would be over. Naruto would be freed from his eminent fate. A new fate had come.

That was it. All light was gone. Everything was black. A void collapsed upon Naruto's vision and he was no more...

**_Heheheh... You think this is over? You think I shall die away like the wind? Like everything else on this hellish planet? Let me tell _you_ something, young kit... You shall not die in my presence... not _yet**


End file.
